The Crafting Of Grana Padano Cheese

Grana Padano is an Italian cheese with a sharp flavour and hard, crumbly texture. It is made from cow's milk, salt and rennet, and aged for at least nine months. The cheese originates from the Po Valley in northern Italy and is similar to Parmesan, but with less strict regulations governing its production. The name refers to its grainy texture and the region from which it comes. The recipe for Grana Padano is centuries old and the cheese is now produced in around 150 factories in the Po Valley area, with 76,724 tons made annually.

Explore related products

Frank and Sal - Genuine Grana Padano Aged 24 Months Italian Import. (1 Pound)

$28.98

Frank and Sal - Genuine Grana Padano Aged 24 Months Italian Import. (3 Pound)

$54.95

Grana Padano (2 lbs.)

$35.49

igourmet Grana Padano Stravecchio Oro del Tempo Cheese Aged 24 Months - Pound Cut (15.5 ounce)

$27.95

Fortuna's Grana Padano: Imported Italian Cheese, 10-12oz Wedge, Pure Cow's Milk, Aged 12-24 Months, Fragrant & Delicate Semi-Fat Hard Cheese - Ideal for Grating

$27.98

Grana Padano - Sold by the Pound

$32.8

Grana Padano is made from cow's milk

Grana Padano is a hard cheese with a nutty, salty, and flaky interior, encased in a thick, golden, edible rind. It is made from cows' milk, which is partially skimmed in copper boilers at a temperature between 8° and 20°C. The cows from which the milk is taken must come from a specific geographical area of production, which includes 32 provinces across northern Italy, such as Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto, Trentino Alto Adige, and Emilia Romagna.

The process of making Grana Padano begins by mixing the partially skimmed milk with natural whey and animal-derived rennet, which is used to coagulate the milk and form curds. The curds are then cut and crushed into small pieces, before being cooked and warmed to a temperature of 53-56°C. The resulting granules, which give the cheese its characteristic texture, are then soaked in brine for at least two weeks to extract moisture and begin the aging process.

Grana Padano is typically aged for a minimum of nine months, although it can be aged for up to 20 months or longer. During the aging process, the cheese is inspected for color, scent, and texture, and if it passes quality tests, it is fire-branded with the Grana Padano trademark. The final product is a cheese that is high in protein, vitamins, and minerals, and is nearly lactose-free due to its production and aging processes.

The name "Grana Padano" comes from the Italian word "grana," which refers to its grainy texture, and "padano," which means "from Val Padana" (the Po Valley), the region in Italy where the cheese is produced. The recipe for Grana Padano is believed to originate from Cistercian monks in the 12th century, and while the production method has remained largely unchanged, modern equipment is now used.

The cows are milked twice a day

The cows used in the production of Grana Padano cheese are milked twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. The morning milk is typically lower in fat content than the evening milk. The two milks are mixed together to create a semi-skimmed milk that is left unpasteurised. The cows used to produce the milk for Grana Padano are free-range and are allowed to graze on fresh forage and silage. The Consortium for the Protection of Grana Padano Cheese, which started in June 1954, has defined a process that includes strict rules about the cows from which the milk is taken. The cows must come exclusively from the geographical area of production, which includes 32 provinces scattered between the regions of Piedmont, Lombardy, Veneto, Trentino Alto Adige, and Emilia Romagna.

The cows used to produce the milk for Grana Padano are fed high-quality silage, which is said to "favour the contamination of raw milk by spore-forming clostridia". This is one of the differences between the production of Grana Padano and Parmesan, as cows used in the production of the latter only feed on cereal and grass grown in the area.

The milk produced in the evening is skimmed to remove the surface layer of cream and mixed with the fresh milk produced in the morning. The partly skimmed milk is then transferred into copper kettles or boilers and coagulated. The resulting curd is cut to produce granules the size of rice grains, which gives the cheese its characteristic texture, and then warmed to 53-56°C.

Grana Padano is a semi-fat hard cheese which is cooked and ripened slowly for at least nine months. If it passes quality tests, it is fire-branded with the Grana Padano trademark. The cheese is inspected for colour, scent, and texture, and if it passes these tests, it is given the title of Grana Padano. The ageing process can last anywhere from nine to 20 months, and the cheese is sold in three different ripening stages: "Grana Padano" (9 to 16 months), "Grana Padano oltre 16 mesi" (over 16 months), and "Grana Padano Riserva" (over 20 months).

The milk is then mixed with whey and rennet

Grana Padano is a semi-fat hard cheese with a nutty flavour and grainy texture. It is made from cow's milk, salt, and rennet. The milk used to make Grana Padano comes from cows that graze on fresh forage and silage. The cows are milked twice a day, once in the morning and once in the evening. The milk produced in the evening is skimmed to remove the surface layer of cream and mixed with the fresh milk produced in the morning to create a semi-skimmed milk mixture. This milk mixture is then mixed with natural whey and animal-derived rennet to form curds. The whey is crucial to the process as it encourages the elimination of excess whey and the formation of the crust. The rennet, extracted from the calf's stomach, is added to the milk to allow the coagulation of the milk. The milk is then heated to a temperature between 31° and 33° Celsius, at which point the curd forms and is crushed into many small pieces. The broken curd is then cooked so that all the pieces of curd are deposited at the bottom of the boiler.

The curds are then shaped into wheels and soaked in brine, which extracts moisture from the cheese and begins the aging process. The aging process can last anywhere from nine to 20 months, during which the cheese develops a creamy, slightly grainy texture and a delicate flavour. If the cheese passes quality tests, it is fire-branded with the Grana Padano trademark.

Explore related products

Grana Padano Cheese Grated, 1Kg (2.2 lb) - Grana Padano DOP - 16 Months Aged, Authentic Italian Cheese, Imported from Italy

$43.95

Bristol Farms, Grana Padano Dop Center Cut, 16 Ounce

$36.89

Grana Padano - 5 lbs Piece

$68.96

Grana Padano PDO. Grated Cheese 1 Pound Imported From Italy. No Additives or Preservatives.

$32.98

Grana Padano - 14 Months - 2 lbs (cut portion)

$39.98

Grana Padano in Grater (8.9 ounce)

$49.07

The curd is shaped into wheels and soaked in brine

The wheels are then passed into a warm chamber where they dry before the ageing process begins. This ageing process can last anywhere from nine to 20 months. During this time, the cheese is inspected for colour, scent, texture, flavour, and aroma. If the cheese passes the quality tests, it is fire-branded with the Grana Padano trademark.

The wheels are inspected and aged for at least nine months

The wheels of Grana Padano are inspected for colour, scent, texture, flavour, and aroma before being sold. The cheese is then aged for at least nine months, though the ageing process can last up to 20 months. During this time, the cheese develops a sharper flavour and more grainy texture. The ageing process also reduces the cheese's lactose content, making it nearly lactose-free.

Grana Padano is typically aged in three stages. The first stage lasts from nine to 16 months and results in a softer, creamier cheese with a slightly grainy texture and a delicate flavour. The second stage lasts from 16 to 20 months, during which the cheese becomes crumblier and develops a more pronounced taste, with notes of dried fruit, butter, and hay. The final stage is the "Grana Padano Riserva", which is aged for over 20 months. At this stage, the cheese is extremely grainy and buttery, with a high presence of calcium crystals.

The ageing process also affects the nutritional value of the cheese. For example, the longer ageing time of Grana Padano Riserva results in higher levels of calcium. Additionally, the production and ageing procedures of Grana Padano determine the bioavailability of vitamins and minerals, as well as the supply of proteins and nine essential amino acids.

Frequently asked questions